What is an international 800 number? It is also known as a UIFN, or a universal international freephone number. This number is issued by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). It uses the ITU country code 800, which means that the UIFN can be called from any country. All you need is just to dial the international access code plus the 8-digit number. As of now, there are around 30 countries, from which you can call a UIFN.

There used to be a time when international business was done only by big multinational companies. Well, not anymore. With advances in technology and with the use of international 800 numbers, small scale companies as well as individuals can be connected to the opposite end of the world. Now, small businesses are connected internationally and can process orders from other countries.

An international 800 number allows you to become more competitive. As the world is linked more and more, you will see that the supply-demand chain is also affected in such a way that products and services are offered at lower prices. Having an international 800 number does not even have to cost you a sizable chunk of your budget.

With affordable prices and crystal clear connectivity, that ensures that you don't lose connection with a customer in Japan, while taking his call in an elevator in Chicago, international 800 numbers are here to stay. What is more, there is no queue to get activated. It could be done in an instant.

This virtual phone provides you with several great benefits - real-time operation ability, excellent connectivity, and the benefit of having many phones reaching your international 800 number from across the globe. What you will just need is to concentrate on the countries where you want to market your products and services.

This is how an international 800 number works. Imagine a customer calls your international toll free number. The call is immediately and automatically forwarded to whichever phone number (it could be many) that you have provided to the service provider. You can alter this 'destination' as many times as you wish. Usually it is absolutely free to do so.

It does not matter in which country you are taking the call, the international toll free number remains the same. There is no necessity to add on extra phone lines or any other expensive equipment to support the number. You can also make use of this number to make outgoing calls, anywhere in the world.

Here are the rates when receiving calls using your international 800 number. These rates are for some countries and are based per minute and by pence.

Australia - 12p, Bahrain - 92p, Brazil - 36p, Canada - 13p, Bermuda - 69p, China - 99p, Cyprus - 22p, Austria - 13p, Belgium - 9p, Denmark - 11p, Finland - 18p, France - 10p.

(Multiply by 1.5 if you want these rates in dollars and cents.)